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Galactica-type Battlestar
This unnamed class of Battlestar, dubbed here the Galactica-type, was the original class of battlestar constructed by the United Colonies of Kobol. An initial order of twelve, to represent the Twelve Colonies, followed by others, were constructed during the Cylon War due to a pressing need for well armed, armoured vessels reliant on un-networked computers, and being able to serve as carriers transporting fighter craft for intercepting Raiders. These ships were first put into service in the middle of the war, and were followed by a number of classes based on the design. Characteristics Propulsion Ships of this class have 4 main rearward-facing sublight engines mounted on its outer hull, two on the dorsal and ventral surfaces each, along with what is presumed to be a backup sublight thruster in the center of the hull (although this is never confirmed). Smaller manoeuvring thrusters are also scattered throughout the ship to allow it to manoeuvre quickly in combat scenarios. Two synced FTL drives are installed aboard to allow for faster-than-light travel. Computer Systems Due to the serious threat of Cylon hacking imposed on the Colonial Fleet, Galactica-types were designed to rely on primitive computers without networking, and so were in fact less advanced that older cruisers in the fleet. These computers, whether in the original design or a later refit, were in fact capable of being networked when necessary, but per standard procedure were not.Battlestar Galactica, episode: "Scattered". Calculations for faster-than-light jumps were also limited as a result of this, and by the 2000s Galactica's computers were considerably slower at computing jumps than modern civilian ships if not networked. Armament The Galactica-type was armed with railguns scattered throughout the ship, primarily located on its dorsal and ventral hull (2 groups of 4 on each side), each capable of firing large incendiary or explosive shells at any given target; usually enemy vessels. Ships of this class also have CIWS point-defense weapons scattered throughout the ship to defend against incoming ordinance, as well as an array of both regular (explosive) and nuclear-tipped missiles to be launched from missile tubes at enemy targets. Fighter Complement Galactica-types had large flight decks to support a large compliment of craft, and had three types of craft as standard. The first were Vipers, a one-man air-superiority fighter designed to engage targets beyond both the battlestar's and its target's weapons range, as well as to take on Raiders. The second were Raptors, multipurpose craft able to serve as missile carriers, military transports or electronic warfare platforms. The third were shuttles, designed also to ferry crew between ships. It is presumed that the Galactica-''types could support three or four squadrons simultaneously, judging by the size of the flight pods. The port and starboard flight-pods were designed to be retractable. While Vipers were launched via special tubes on the side of the flight-pods, all craft needed to land on the flight deck, which would be extended when needed. As this required the port and starboard flight decks to be exposed to vacuum conditions, the deck was magnetised to simulate gravity conditions when extended. Notable ships ''Galactica Galactica was one of the original twelve, and one of only three to survive the Cylon War. During a military shake-up around 1980, Galactica was retired from front-line service to travel between colonies, which served as effective PR for the military. By 1998, however, the PR benefits were outweighed by the maintenance costs, and the Adar administration ordered the ship decommissioned and transferred to the Department of Education as a war museum. Due to a combination of age, proximity to decommission, and the views of its final CO, Commander William Adama, Galactica was never networked and, consequently, survived the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. Columbia Columbia fought in the Cylon War though it is unknown if it was one of the original twelve. It was destroyed in the closing hours of the war above an ice planet around the year 1960.Battlestar Galactica: Razor. Archeron Archeron was assigned to pick up a Raptor from Galactica, but was destroyed by the Cylons around 1958.Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome. Further notes *The exact name of this class is conjectural, and a variety of fan sites have identified this as the "Galactica-class"; "Columbia-class" and "Jupiter-class", the latter of which being featured in the strategy game, Battlestar Galactica Deadlock. Sources Category:Colonial Fleet Category:Ships Category:Colonial Fleet starships Category:Battlestars Category:Battlestar Galactica Re-Imagined